B.C. tribunal paves way for cyber solutions to small claims disputes

VICTORIA – B.C. residents will soon be able to sidestep a physical courtroom and fight many small claims disputes online.

Starting June 1, the Ministry of Justice says the Civil Resolution Tribunal will begin accepting small claims cases involving amounts of $5,000 or less.

The tribunal is Canada's first online mechanism for resolving homeowner association and small claim disputes, but is currently restricted to property issues valued at under than $5,000.

Once it begins accepting cases, use of the online tribunal will be mandatory for most disputes up to the $5,000 value.

The Justice Ministry has also increased the limit of a small claim case to $35,000 in an effort to free the justice system to resolve other matters.

The ministry says in a release that the new tribunal is the first-ever on-line panel integrated directly into the public justice system, offering tips that may immediately resolve some issues, while providing advice or expert decisions if a dispute reaches an impasse.

``The expansion of the Civil Resolution Tribunal into small claims under $5,000 and the increase in small claims court jurisdiction to $35,000 will make it easier for British Columbians to resolve their legal disputes more affordably, and with less complexity,'' says Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.